Method for ensuring synchronous presentation of additional data with audio data

ABSTRACT

A recording medium, method and apparatus for managing data are discussed. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method of reproducing main data and additional data. The method includes receiving the additional data associated with the main data, the additional data being divided into a plurality of segment units; and reproducing the additional data in a synchronous manner with the main data using time information if indication information indicates a presence of the time information. The time information indicates a presentation time of the additional data with respect to the main data. The main data and the additional data are reproduced according to management data, the management data including link information for linking the main data and the additional data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of a co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/305,020 filed on Nov. 27, 2002 (nowallowed), the contents of which are entirely incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of recording additional datasuch as lyric and user input data to be in synchronization with audiodata on a rewritable recording medium, and of reproducing themsynchronously therefrom.

2. Description of the Related Art

A disk-type recording medium such as a Compact Disk (CD) can storehigh-quality digital audio data permanently, so that it is very popularrecording medium in these days.

Recently, a Digital Versatile Disk (called ‘DVD’ hereinafter) has beendeveloped as a new disk-type recording medium. A DVD can store much moredata than a CD, that is, high-quality moving pictures or audio data arerecorded on a DVD for much longer time. Therefore, a DVD will be usedwidely in the near future.

There are three types of DVDs—DVD-ROM for read-only, DVD-R forwrite-once, and DVD-RAM or DVD-RW for rewritable. For a rewritable DVD,the standardization of data writing format is in progress.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical disk device thatrecords/reproduces audio data to/from a recording medium.

The disk device configured as FIG. 1 comprises an optical pickup 11reading signals recorded on a rewritable DVD 10 such as a DVD-RW andwriting data streams processed into writable signals onto the rewritableDVD 10; a reproduced signal processor 12 restoring the read signals intocompressed digital data; a decoder 13 decoding the compressed digitaldata to original data; a sampler 18 digitizing an inputted analog signalat a preset sampling rate; an encoder 17 encoding the digitized LPCMdata into MPEG-, or AC3-formatted data; a writing processor 16converting the encoded data from the encoder 17 or LPCM data from thesampler 18 into signals suitable to be written; a controller 14controlling all elements to conduct user's commands such as playback orrecord; and a memory 15 for storing data temporally.

If an analog signal is applied to the disk device of FIG. 1, the sampler18 samples the analog signal at the preset sampling rate. Each sampledsignal, which is LPCM data, is applied to the encoder 17 that encodes ablock of sampled data into compressed data of pre-specified format, forexample, MPEG format. The compressed data are then applied to thewriting processor 16.

The writing processor 16 converts a series of the compressed data intobinary signals which are written in mark/space patterns on the writableDVD 10. Already-compressed digital data from outside are directlyprocessed by the writing processor 16 to be written onto the writableDVD 10.

After recording of audio data, navigation data for the audio data arecreated and then recorded on the writable DVD 10.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of RTR_AMG (Real Time Record AudioManaGement) recorded as navigation data on a rewritable disk. TheRTR_AMG includes RTR_AMGI (RTR Audio Manager General Information),AUDFIT (AUDio File Information Table), ASVFIT (Audio Still Video FileInformation Table), ORG_PGCI (ORGiginal PGC (ProGram Chain)Information), UD_PGCIT (User Defined PGC Information Table), TXTDT_MG(TeXT DaTa ManaGer), and MNFIT (MaNufacturer's Information Table).

The TXTDT_MG can include additional data of recorded songs such aslyrics. Therefore, when the controller 14 selects and reproduces arecorded song from the rewritable disk 10, it is able to present lyrictext in characters on a screen by reading it from the TXTDT_MG.

Consequently, when a user selects a recorded song to play back from therewritable DVD 10, he or she is able to view its lyric on a screen.

However, each of additional data such as a lyric included in theTXTDT_MG is linked with a recorded song wholly. In other words, a lyricin the TXTDT_MG cannot have information to synchronize in detail with arecorded song. Therefore, it is impossible to display lyric data step bystep at the same speed that the recorded song is reproduced from arewritable DVD.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a synchronizingmethod that records additional data such as lyric data and user inputdata to be synchronized minutely with audio data on a rewritablerecording medium.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a synchronizingmethod that reproduces synchronously audio data and additional datathereof that have been recorded with minutely-synchronizing information.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for providing data structures that allow a synchronousreproduction of main data and additional data, which address thelimitations and disadvantages associated with the related art.

An audio data related information recording method in accordance with anaspect of the present invention segments additional information relatedwith audio data recorded on a rewritable recording medium, records theinformation segments, and further records synchronizing information,e.g., time length to keep up presentation of each information segment orstart time to present each information segment, in the vicinity of saideach information segment in order to present each information segment insynchronization with a corresponding part of the recorded audio data.

An audio data related information reproducing method in accordance withan aspect of the present invention reads sequentially a plurality ofinformation segments constituting a piece of additional informationrelated with audio data recorded on a rewritable recording medium, andmakes presentation of each information segment based on synchronizinginformation, e.g., time length to keep up presentation of eachinformation segment or start time to present each information segment,recorded in association with each information segment in order topresent each information segment in synchronization with a correspondingpart of the recorded audio data.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod of reproducing main data and additional data, the methodcomprising: receiving the additional data associated with the main data,the additional data being divided into a plurality of segment units; andreproducing the additional data in a synchronous manner with the maindata using time information if indication information indicates apresence of the time information, wherein the time information indicatesa presentation time of the additional data with respect to the maindata, and wherein the main data and the additional data are reproducedaccording to management data, the management data including linkinformation for linking the main data and the additional data.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of reproducing main data and additional data, the methodcomprising: providing the additional data associated with the main data,the additional data being divided into a plurality of segment units; andreproducing the additional data in a synchronous manner to the main datausing time information if indication information indicates a presence ofthe time information, wherein the time information is present only ifthe indication information indicates that the time information ispresent, wherein the main data and the additional data are reproducedaccording to link information for linking the main data and theadditional data, and wherein the link information is separated storedfrom the main data and the additional data.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of providing additional data to be reproduced with main data,the method comprising: providing the additional data associated with themain data, the additional data being divided into a plurality of segmentunits and capable of being reproduced with the main data in asynchronous manner; and providing management data associated with theadditional data, wherein the management information includes linkinformation for linking the main data and the additional data, timeinformation for reproducing the additional data with the main data inthe synchronous manner, and attribute information for providing at leastone attribute of the additional data.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of providing additional data to be reproduced with main data,the method comprising: providing the additional data associated with themain data, the additional data being divided into a plurality of segmentunits and capable of being reproduced with the main data in asynchronous manner; and providing management data associated with theadditional data, wherein the management information includes timeinformation and indication information indicating a presence of the timeinformation, the time information being present only if the indicatinginformation indicates the time information is present, wherein themanagement information further includes linking information for linkingthe main data and the additional data, and wherein the additional datais provided separately from the main data.

These and other objects of the present application will become morereadily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.However, it should be understood that the detailed description andspecific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, illustrate the preferred embodiments ofthe invention, and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical disk device thatrecords/reproduces audio data to/from a recording medium according to arelated art;

FIG. 2 shows the structure of RTR_AMG (Real Time Record AudioManaGement) recorded as navigation data on a rewritable disk accordingto a related art;

FIG. 3 shows an RTR_AMG in which TXTDT_MG (TeXT DaTa ManaGer) structuredaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows CI (Cell Information) structured according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a continuous and synchronous display ofa series of lyric segments together with reproduced audio data audioaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows an RTR_AMG structured according to another embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 7 shows ALFIT (Audio Lyric File Information Table) structuredaccording to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order that the invention may be fully understood, preferredembodiments thereof will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

In an audio data recording method in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention, lyric or user data related with a song recordedon a rewritable disk such as DVD-RW is segmented into several units.Each segmented unit is linked with each corresponding part of therecorded song through segment synchronizing information for the purposeof minute synchronization of song and additional data.

FIG. 3 shows an RTR_AMG in which TXTDT_MG structured according to anembodiment of the present invention is included.

As shown in FIG. 3, RTR_AMG is composed of RTR_AMGI, AUDFIT, ASVFIT,ORG_PGCI, UD_PGCIT, TXTDT_MG, and MNFIT. The TXTDT_MG in FIG. 3 iscomposed of respective ALUI (Audio Lyric Unit Information) searchpointers and corresponding pieces of ALUI. Each ALUI includes lyricsegments ‘SG_L_TXT #i’, which is segmented lyric text, and theirindividual output-time related information ‘Time #i’.

The output-time related information ‘Time #i’ is time-length, which acorresponding lyric segment is kept displayed for, or instant time whena corresponding lyric segment starts to be displayed. The lyric text maybe displayed as subtitles. This time information is also used todifferentiate a linked lyric segment from several lyric segmentsdisplayed altogether by different color or font for a specifiedduration.

Each lyric segment includes an ID code ‘IDCD’ as shown in FIG. 3. The IDcode is used to indicate that each segmented unit has output-timerelated information, that each segmented unit includes lyric or userdata, or that the output-time related information is duration or starttime.

Each group of segmented units is linked with a recorded song througheach ALUI search pointer in TXTDT_MG as shown in FIG. 3. For example, anALUI search pointer linked with a recorded song points a start positionof the first lyric segment of an associated segment group.

To link a recorded song with an ALUI search pointer, a piece of CI (CellInformation) related with an AOB (Audio OBject), which corresponds to asingle recorded song in general, is structured in the ORG_PGCI as shownin FIG. 4.

Each CI includes an AOBI_SRPN (AOB Information SeaRch Pointer Number)for indexing information location of a related AOB (or song), anASVUI_SRNP (ASVU (Audio Still Video Unit) Information SeaRch PointerNumber) for indexing information location of still video data linkedwith an AOB, and an ALUI search pointer number ‘ALUI_SRPN’ for indexingan ALUI search pointer in the TXTDT_MG that points a segment groupcontaining a full lyric text related with an AOB.

Thus, if a song, namely, an AOB is chosen, the controller 14 reads thenumber written in ALUI_SPRN of CI associated with the selected AOB, andreads an address in ALUI search pointer indexed by the read number inthe TXTDT_MG. The location of lyric text related with the selected songis found by this read address.

Then, lyric segments are retrieved sequentially from the addressedlocation by the reproduced signal processor 12. At this time, thecontroller 14 examines an ID code preceding each lyric segment. If theID code is indicative of type of output-time related information, e.g.,a time length for which the following lyric segment ‘SG_L_TXT #i’ isdisplayed, the controller 14 keeps outputting each lyric segment for aduration specified by the time length and changes current lyric segmentwith the next one after the time length expires. This operationcontinues until the end of AOB or stop request is received.

FIG. 5 illustrates continuous and synchronous display of a series oflyric segments together with reproduced audio data belonging to theselected AOB.

Referring to FIG. 5, if the ID code is indicative of presentation starttime of each lyric segment, the controller 14 outputs each lyric segmentthe moment an elapsed time after reproducing the chosen AOB (or song)becomes equal to the start time specified by field ‘Time’. Thecurrently-outputted lyric segment keeps being outputted until the nextsegment is outputted at its start time.

If the ID code is indicative of not the type of output-time relatedinformation but the type of additional information, e.g., user data, thecontroller 14 processes the segmented additional information adequatelyfor the designated type.

If the ID code indicates that there is no output-time relatedinformation in lyric segments, then the lyric segments are sequentiallyread out irrespective of time. This operation seems to correspond to aconventional lyric data displaying method.

The lyric segments related with a recorded song may be written in a fileother than the RTR_AMG, instead of the TXTDT_MG

FIG. 6 shows an RTR_AMG structure according to another embodiment of thepresent invention. The RTR_AMG of FIG. 6 includes an ALFIT (Audio LyricFile Information Table) for storing in another file the lyric data thatare composed of segmented information such as lyrics or user data of allrecorded songs.

FIG. 7 shows the structure of the ALFIT of FIG. 6. The ALFIT is composedof ALFITI (ALFIT Information) and ALFI. The ALFITI includes fields of‘ALFI_Ns’ reserved for the number of audio lyric information files,‘AL_I_Ns’ for the number of pieces of audio lyric information, and‘ALFIT_EA’ for an end address of ALFIT.

The ALFI is composed of ALFI_GI (ALFI General Information) and aplurality of ALUI (Audio Lyric Unit Information) search pointers, eachincluding ‘ALU_SA’ for a start address of a lyric unit, ‘ALU_SZ’ forsize of a lyric unit, and ‘L_ATR’ for attribute of a lyric.

The ALU_SA in each ALUI search pointer points to the location of acorresponding ALU (Audio Lyric Unit) in a lyric file named by‘AR_Lyric.ARO’ that is not included in the RTR_AMG. Each ALU in thelyric file ‘AR_Lyric.ARO’ includes a lyric text associated with a singlerecorded song, and the lyric text is divided into several segments‘SG_L_TXT #i’. Each lyric segment also has output-time relatedinformation ‘Time’ and ID code ‘IDCD as described in the aforementionedembodiment.

According to this structure of the RTR_AMG, the ALUI_search pointernumber contained in CI indexes an ALUI search pointer pointing to alyric unit in the file ‘AR_Lyric.ARO’ associated with a recorded AOB,namely a song.

Thus, if a song, namely, an AOB is chosen, the controller 14 reads thenumber written in ALUI_SPRN of CI associated with the selected AOB, andreads an address in ALUI search pointer contained in the field ‘ALFI’indexed by the read number. The location of a lyric unit related withthe selected song is found in the file ‘AR_Lyric.ARO’ by this readaddress.

Then, lyric segments are retrieved sequentially from the first segment‘SG_L_TXT #1’ at the addressed location in the file ‘AR_Lyric.ARO’ bythe reproduced signal processor 12. At this time, the controller 14examines an ID code preceding each lyric segment.

If the ID code is indicative of the type of output-time relatedinformation, the controller 14 conducts continuous and synchronousdisplay of a series of lyric segments together with reproduced audiodata belonging to the selected AOB. In this lyric synchronous displayoperation, a just-displayed lyric segment can be differentiated by coloror font from neighboring lyric segments displayed altogether.

The above-explained lyric data synchronizing method ensuresminutely-synchronous lyric presentation with audio data, e.g., songbeing reproduced in real time from a rewritable recording medium. Thus,a user is able to enjoy a reproduced song better through the lyric textdisplayed in synchronization with the song.

The detailed description of the invention has been directed to certainexemplary embodiments, various modifications of these embodiments, aswell as alternative embodiments, will be suggested to those skilled inthe art. The invention encompasses any modifications or alternativeembodiments that fall within the scope of the claims.

1. A method of reproducing main data and additional data, the methodcomprising: receiving the additional data associated with the main data,the additional data being divided into a plurality of segment units; andreproducing the additional data in a synchronous manner with the maindata using time information if indication information indicates apresence of the time information, wherein the time information indicatesa presentation time of the additional data with respect to the maindata, and wherein the main data and the additional data are reproducedaccording to management data, the management data including linkinformation for linking the main data and the additional data.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the main data and the additional data areprovided separately, and the reproducing step reads the additional dataand the main data separately and controls a synchronization of theadditional data with respect to the main data using the timeinformation.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the link information andthe indication information are provided separately from the main dataand the additional data.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein each segmentunit includes a corresponding time information, and the reproducing stepreproduces each segment unit using the corresponding time information.5. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment unit includes typeinformation to indicate a type of the additional information, and thereproducing step reproduces each segment unit according to the typeinformation.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein each segment unitincludes type information to indicate a type of the time information,and the reproducing step reproduces each segment unit according to thetype information.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the type informationindicates one of a start time or a duration time of the correspondingsegment unit.
 8. A method of reproducing main data and additional data,the method comprising: providing the additional data associated with themain data, the additional data being divided into a plurality of segmentunits; and reproducing the additional data in a synchronous manner tothe main data using time information if indication information indicatesa presence of the time information, wherein the time information ispresent only if the indication information indicates that the timeinformation is present, wherein the main data and the additional dataare reproduced according to link information for linking the main dataand the additional data, and wherein the link information is separatedstored from the main data and the additional data.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the indication information is provided separately fromthe main data and the additional data, and the reproducing step furtherincludes reading the indication information separately and identifyingwhether the time information is present based on the indicationinformation.
 10. A method of reproducing main data and additional data,the method comprising: retrieving the additional data associated withthe main data, the additional data being divided into a plurality ofsegment units; and reproducing the additional data in a synchronousmanner to the main data using time information, the time informationbeing used to synchronize the additional data with the main data,wherein the additional data is reproduced according to managementinformation, the management information including the time information,format information to indicate a format of the additional data, and linkinformation for linking the main data and the additional data, andwherein the management information is provided separately from the maindata and the additional data.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein themanagement information further includes indication information toidentify whether the time information is present, and the reproducingstep includes identifying whether the time information is present basedon the indication information, reading the time information if the timeinformation is present, and reproducing the additional data in thesynchronous manner to the main data using the read time information. 12.The method of claim 10, wherein the format information indicates whetherthe additional data is lyric data or user-defined data.
 13. The methodof claim 10, wherein the management information further includes a startaddress, size information and attribute information of each of thesegment units.
 14. A method of providing additional data to bereproduced with main data, the method comprising: providing theadditional data associated with the main data, the additional data beingdivided into a plurality of segment units and capable of beingreproduced with the main data in a synchronous manner; and providingmanagement data associated with the additional data, wherein themanagement information includes link information for linking the maindata and the additional data, time information for reproducing theadditional data with the main data in the synchronous manner, andattribute information for providing at least one attribute of theadditional data.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the managementinformation further includes indication information indicating apresence of the time information.
 16. A method of providing additionaldata to be reproduced with main data, the method comprising: providingthe additional data associated with the main data, the additional databeing divided into a plurality of segment units and capable of beingreproduced with the main data in a synchronous manner; and providingmanagement data associated with the additional data, wherein themanagement information includes time information and indicationinformation indicating a presence of the time information, the timeinformation being present only if the indicating information indicatesthe time information is present, wherein the management informationfurther includes linking information for linking the main data and theadditional data, and wherein the additional data is provided separatelyfrom the main data.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the timeinformation indicates a presentation start time or a presentationduration time of the additional data.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein each segment unit includes a corresponding time information. 19.The method of claim 16, wherein the management information is providedseparately from the main data and the additional data.